Artistic aptitude to be on display

Penn High students head to Indy for event.

Penn High students head to Indy for event.

April 13, 2007|KIM KILBRIDE Tribune Staff Writer

Four Penn High School students are among finalists vying for college scholarships Saturday in Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance's eXcel Awards competition. Mark Garbaciak, Trent Musho and Lauren Walker, all juniors at Penn, produced a five-minute video that made it to the finals. And, senior Laureen Foulks will perform a baton twirling routine for the panel of judges, most of whom work in the state's arts and education community. More than 5,000 high school students initially competed in six areas of artistic expression, including video and performance art. Of those, 60 entries featuring 89 students were chosen as finalists, said Carrie Neff, a spokeswoman for Indiana Farm Bureau Insurance. Students whose work is chosen for the top three entries in each category will receive college scholarships ranging from $2,000 to $3,000, Neff said. Risk is the topic for this year's competition. The Penn trio of filmmakers produced a humorous, offbeat piece in their film seminar class at the high school. It's about kids on a camping trip. Every time they open the tent, they're in a different location, from a farm to a bathroom. Lauren said the three were surprised to be named finalists, but she figures the film's originality and creativity must have stood out to the judges. Kevin McNulty, their film teacher at Penn (along with Lavon Oke) agreed. "I think that the judges probably appreciated how well Lauren, Mark, and Trent told their story," McNulty said. "The filmmakers leave little to guess at plot, and so the piece becomes very entertaining. "Technically speaking," he added, "I think they paid attention to aspects of filmmaking that other young filmmakers may not have. So I think their attention to detail probably separates their work from that of their peers." All three have experience, though mostly amateur, in filmmaking and are potentially interested in pursuing careers in film after high school. Laureen, meanwhile, will perform her baton-twirling routine live in front of the judges on Saturday. For more than a decade, she's traveled extensively, even to Japan, to pursue her interest in baton twirling. About a year and a half ago, however, she gave it up. The lengthy after-school practices and weekend competitions meant she had little time for socializing. But, when she heard about the eXcel competition, she decided to give twirling another try. She created a routine for the talent show at Penn in February and incorporated eXcel's theme of risk by performing it to fast, rock music, making it all the more difficult. Then, she entered a video of herself performing the routine into the Indiana Farm Bureau contest. "I was really hoping I'd make it (to the finals)," she said. "It showed I still could twirl if I wanted to." Her goal on Saturday is to be among the top three performers in her category. But, even if she doesn't win, she said she's still glad she picked up the baton again. And, she's even considering resuming twirling, albeit in a less-intense way than before. She plans to attend Olivet Nazarene University and may end up performing with the marching band there. It would be a first for the Illinois school and a mini comeback for Laureen, who has been twirling since she was 3. Staff writer Kim Kilbride: kkilbride@sbtinfo.com (574) 235-6554